"In recent days, we've also seen several motorcycle related fatalities, and coming up to the long weekend period in the next two weeks, we will continue to do whatever it takes to reduce road toll as much as we can," he said.

Covering nearly one-third of the continent, in deserts with poor soils, humble Australian spinifex grasses contain nano-sized particles that can amp the performance of a range of everyday items, researcher Nasim Amiralian writes.

Former treasurer Wayne Swan says that real private sector wages have grown by just 1 per cent under the Abbott and Turnbull governments, which he says equates to only one year of growth under the previous Labor government.